Thursday, July 12, 2012

The 2012-13 New Victory season is bigger than ever! To help you navigate every small detail, we'll be shining a spotlight on a few key topics over the next few weeks so you can figure out what's just right for your family. Let our staff—and some outside experts we've enlisted—share their insights and tips for getting the most out of your New Victory experience.

This week, Jamie O’Brien—who’s looking forward to her sixth season as part of the Communications team for The New Victory—explains how, with Membership, the discounts quickly add up:

In the age of memberships, subscriptions, flex passes, Groupons and more, there’s plenty of room for confusion about how to get the best deal on theater tickets. This spring, I reviewed all the feedback we collected during a survey about Membership and then helped apply it to our 2012-13 season policies. The resounding conclusion? You think that New Vic Membership is a great deal that shouldn’t change, but there are some lingering questions about how it works. So, with a big thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts, let’s start by defining Membership:

If you purchase tickets to at least 3 productions*, you:

Automatically become a Member of The New Victory Theater

Save up to 35% on tickets to shows

To break that down further, Membership at The New Victory covers an entire household for the full length of a season and is good for up to 6 seats per event, with the following savings:

35% off all performances at The New Victory Theater

Up to 30% off shows at our other two venues, The Duke on 42nd Street and the New 42nd Street Studios

25% off extra seats (up to 12 more!) to any performance

In addition to those discounts, you’ll also receive:

Free exchanges at any point up to 48 hours before your scheduled show

Special pricing on weekend Family Workshops and Kids Weeks

Priority ordering periods for any additionally announced programming and for the following season

With that out of the way, let’s answer your top 5 questions about Membership.1. How much will it cost?First and foremost, Membership is FREE. There’s no fee to join: simply order a minimum of three productions during your initial purchase for the 2012-13 season. Mix and match quantities, seating sections, venues—whatever fits you and your family.

Check out these real orders placed by renewing Members in the
last month:

4 Orchestra seats to Urban:

$100

6 Orchestra seats to Circus Oz:

$216

4 Balcony seats to Circus Oz:

$44

3 Orchestra seats to Black Violin: $75

3 Orchestra seats to RHAW: $75

4 Rear Orch. seats to Bello Mania: $72

3 Orchestra seats to RHAW:

$75

3 tickets to The Girl who…:

$54

4 Rear Mezz. seats to RHAW:

$72

Total:
$250 ($130 less than full price tickets)

Total:
$345 ($174 less than full price tickets)

Total:
$188 ($104 less than full price tickets)

Like all orders placed online, the final totals for these three examples also includes a $7 processing charge. However, this small flat fee is significantly less than the equivalent per order fee plus per ticket adjustment for individually ordered tickets. And, as a Member, adding tickets to your season later in the year is only $3 per order, regardless of how many more seats you buy.

2. How can I schedule shows now when my family’s plans change so often?

No matter how your calendar fills up with birthday parties or softball games, a Membership order doesn’t ever need to go to waste. Member tickets are exchangeable as often as necessary for free, whether it’s changing when you see a particular show or whether you attend an entirely different production in the season. All you have to do is call more than 48 hours before your scheduled curtain.

3. How many tickets can I get at the discount price?

You can see as many productions as you want, as many times as you’d like. And even if you bring the in-laws, the neighbors AND your first, second and third cousins, you’ll get discounts for all of them—up to 18 people. The first 6 seats per performance are at the full Member discount while the rest of the order qualifies for the 25% off “More the Merrier” price. You can even purchase all 18 seats online just by checking the box next to ticket quantity. (For more than 20 seats, call Heather Levine at 646.223.3014 to arrange a group discount.)

You’ll absolutely see offers for some New Victory shows on Playbill, Theatermania and other places—many of these sites require we provide discounts to even run the listing. But we’ll never book an ad or print a postcard with a discount code for as much as 35% off. As a New Vic Member, you can pick the performances you want, in the seats you want, and know you got the best deal out there.

5. What's the catch?

None—it really is as simple as buying tickets to 3 different productions. Sure, there are few conditions like:

Ticket limits as described above

Exchanges must be arranged a minimum of 48 hours before the ticketed performance

No refunds (but you can post-date or donate the seats back to the theater for a tax-deductible credit—call for details!)

But that’s it. We’ve worked hard to make it as straightforward as possible.I hope these answers have been helpful. If there’s anything else we can clarify, please post a question in the comments, email me at Community@NewVictory.org or call Ticket Services at 646.223.3010.

Next up in the “Ushering In…” Series: tips from patrons like you about how to choose the right 3 (or 4 or 5) shows for your family and friends!

*The
Membership discount is automatically applied after you add a third production
to your shopping cart at any point during the season. To save on all of your
tickets, make sure to purchase a minimum of three shows during your initial
order.